Thousandth Paper Crane
by iyris
Summary: They met when they were kids then got separated by a tragedy. Reunited by fate. Only to be separated again, now by eternity. Playing against life and death, can they win? Now everything lies on the one thousandth paper crane and Fuji's last wish.
1. Prologue

**A/N**: I am using Fuji for Fuji Syuusuke but I'd be using 'Syuusuke' when his other siblings are present.

* * *

><p><strong>Thousandth Paper Crane<strong>

**Prologue**

Steps echoed through the silent hall of the funeral house. Careful not to make any noise, they found the room they had been looking for. The door of Chapel 6 opened and the new visitors entered. Automatically, his head turned to take a look. He excused himself from the visitors he had been talking to accommodate the new acquaintances. He cleared some creases of his black long-sleeved polo before putting back the tired smile.

Eiji and the others followed him with worried eyes as he made his way to the newly entered visitors. "Is there really nothing we can do for him?" he asked as his voice cracked in the end. Fresh tears threatened to flow as he blinked his eyes. He, too, was not over yet at the loss of a dear friend but seeing his bestfriend in this state didn't make anything better for him.

Oishi just pulled Eiji closer and let his head rest on his shoulder. He can't say anything to comfort his lover. He can't say that 'Everything will be fine soon.' because he himself knew that he would be lying. All he could do was to remind Eiji that he was just by his side.

The others looked down, helplessness in their eyes. Everyone was tired, not only _him_. But the pain _he_ was going through, they know it was incomparable to theirs. The loss _he_ had to take, it was nothing compared to theirs. And the tomorrow _he_ had to face, it was completely blank and empty unlike theirs.

Tezuka stood up, making the others looked up at him.

"Tezuka?" said Oishi but it was not loud enough for Tezuka to hear as he walked farther from them and towards Fuji.

Fuji felt a warm hand on his shoulder and he abruptly stopped. He turned around to see one of his closest friends. "Tezuka."

"Go and take a rest with his family for awhile. We can take care of things here."

"But—"

"Go!" Eiji appeared behind Tezuka with the others.

"Thank you," Fuji's eyes softened and gave a small smile before he approached the white coffin. He looked down at the man he loves, lying peacefully inside. He caressed the glass gently, hoping that his hand can get through the glass and hold his lover once again, hoping that he could share his warmth to him again. He felt like crying but he blinked back the tears. His lover was dead for three days now but he hadn't cried a tear yet. Seeing a lover not cry for his beloved's death, it was really rare. Where was he getting his strength? Why was he not crying? How was he able to handle the pain and hold back the tears? How can he still smile?

Instead of joining the family of his dead boyfriend in the spare room to rest, he chose to sit at the corner of the room, staring blankly at the coffin. His dull eyes were far and he was so caught in his own world that he did not even notice when his sister and brother arrived at the chapel.

"Where is Syuusuke?" his sister asked Inui, who was nearest to them that time.

With a worried look, Inui turned his head to locate his friend. "I'm not sure if leaving him alone for now is better than accompanying him."

"Let's just leave him be for now," Yumiko replied.

"Aniki…" Yuuta frowned.

"Syuusuke will come around soon. He just needs some time."

"Some time? Can't you see he had not cried yet! Not even a single tear graced his face! It is because he can't accept that he's dead and won't be coming back that's why he can't grieve! He can't cry!"

Everyone turned to see the outburst of Yuuta. Syuusuke stood up from his seat and approached them. With a swift move, he hugged his younger brother from behind. Yuuta stiffened at the sudden hug but relaxed when he confirmed that it was his brother.

"Thank you Yuuta, but I am fine," Syuusuke said.

Yuuta turned and faced his brother. Tears welled up at the corners of his eyes. Syuusuke was already worn out, his usual sharp eyes were now dull and dark bulges were visible under them. Obviously, he had gotten no sleep for a few days now. His skin was paler than usual and he had indeed become thinner. The condition of his brother was far from 'fine' that he was saying. "No, you're not Aniki."

"Really, I'm fine."

"NO. YOU. ARE. NOT. Why don't you go home for now? Take a rest!"

"I'll stay. I can't go yet when he's still here."

"Can you hear yourself Fuji Syuusuke? He's gone! He won't be coming back no matter what you do! Why can't you just accept that he's gone?"

"Stop it," his slightly closed eyes opened, revealing the dark blue eyes overshadowing the usual bright cerulean ones. Everyone might feel the chill in their spines if they were in a normal situation but instead of the usual fear, this time they felt pain and worry. Nothing but sadness and suffering were reflected in his eyes.

At the same time Yuuta felt guilty about what he had just said, he can't take back his words. It's the truth. And he needed to show his brother that. "I won't. He's gone now. HE. IS. DEAD."

The sound of slap broke through the silence. Not only Yuuta, but almost everyone's eyes widened at what Syuusuke just did. The younger brother palmed his stinging cheek.

"I-I'm s-sorry. I-I didn't mean to do it Yuuta," Syuusuke said, just realizing what happened. Never in his life he hurt Yuuta intently. He loves his brother so much that it was unlikely for the idea of inflicting pain to him would flash in his mind. So, what did he just do now?

Slowly walking back, his hands trembled. His lover was dead, he knew that. But accepting it was just still hard for him. He was still hoping that everything was just a nightmare and he would be waking up soon. His head was in total chaos and he didn't know what to do anymore.

"Syuusuke…" Yumiko called, advancing to his backing away brother.

"W-wait Nee-san," said Syuusuke as he tried to recompose himself. Then, he bumped Yukimura who was standing just behind him.

Yukimura automatically held Syuusuke's shoulders. "S-Seiichi…"

Yukimura smiled at him and then looked at his siblings and the others. "I'll take him home for now."

"But Seiichi—!" Fuji tried to protest.

"You need to rest. You think he wants to see you in this state?"

Fuji didn't respond. He just looked down. Yukimura looked at Sanada and he quickly understood what he was trying to say. Sanada approached them and ushered Fuji out of the room.

"If only Echizen were here," Oshitari whispered but was loud enough for the ones around him to hear. He tried to look unaffected as possible but his eyes gave a tired and worried look at the door where Fuji and Sanada exited.

"Don't ask for impossible," Atobe responded with a tear escaping his eyes. He himself might not even notice it. If there's someone whose feeling was near to Fuji, it would be Atobe. He used to love the boy at the coffin, after all.

Following the two outside, Yukimura left quietly after everyone had calmed a little and returned to their previous places.

"_He _is out there," Shiraishi uttered as low as possible when Yukimura passed by him.

"I know." With that, he swiftly closed the door, taking note of the boy leaning against the wall.

"Don't go yet," said Yukimura, calling the attention of the boy.

The boy moved his gaze from the tiled floor to the serious man standing a meter away from him. His eyes widened. "You—"

"Fuji still needs you so stay by his side as much as you can," Yukimura said as he started to walk away, "whether he knows it or not. Whether he hears you or not. Whether he sees you or not." His voice faded but he was sure the boy caught up to that when the boy's eyes saddened more, if that's possible.

Widening the distance from the chapel and him, Yukimura could still hear the cries of his two friends' hearts when they both said their names at the same time.

"Ryoma…" Fuji whispered as he closed his eyes.

"Syuusuke…" Echizen said, a lone tear dropped on the ground.

****

**to be continued...  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong> AN 2: **A bit confusing at some parts? Sorry, but I can't give more that what was written yet. I need to let the story unfolds and clears itself to the readers in the following chapters.

[edited: 01/30/2012]


	2. Chapter 01: Dream of Past

**A/N**: I am using Fuji for Fuji Syuusuke but I'd be using 'Syuusuke' when his other siblings are present.

Starting **here**, we would be going **3 years back** **before** the **prologue** and refer it as the **present time **to finally start the story and see what really happened.

**Thank you** for the reviews and subscriptions! ^_^

**'**thoughts**'**, **"**dialogs**"**, _past_

* * *

><p><strong>Thousandth Paper Crane<strong>

**Rated: **T (but it is safer than T as of now)

**Summary: **They met when they were kids then got separated by a tragedy. Reunited by fate. Only to be separated again, now by time. Playing against life and death, can they win? Now everything lies on the one thousandth paper crane and Fuji's last wish.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 01<strong>

**3 years prior…**

"Are you sure about this?" his father stood by the doorframe, watching his son getting ready for his flight back to Japan that day.

Grabbing the white cap, he finally faced Nanjiroh. "Old man," he frowned.

"I got it! I got it!" Nanjiroh immediately replied when the annoyance was clearly written in Ryoma's face. He did not want to argue with his son anymore, anyway they had talked about this for more than ten times already. "But still—"

Ryoma glared at his father. Seriously, his old man was getting more and more annoying as seconds ticked by. "I thought you've told me before that I can decide on where to attend college?"

"But I did not know you were considering going to Japan! Especially after Fuji-kun—"

Ryoma raised his hand to stop his father from saying further. He knew what his father was pointing. They were just worried for him, yes. But he's already eighteen and can do things on his own. He was the independent type, after all. He sighed. "Keigo is there to pick me up. I am also attending the university he's in so you can rest assured."

As Ryoma thought, his father calmed down. He actually did not like to say that he would be with Atobe in Japan because he knew how his parents persistently pushing them together after _that_ incident despite the fact that Ryoma just looks at Atobe as a very close friend. But if it would silence and relieve his father, saying it was of worth.

"Ryoma! It's time," his mother called from downstairs.

"Come, Karupin," said Ryoma as he walked passed by his father.

"Take care then."

"Aa…"

**thousandthpapercrane**

_Ryoma was leaning against the wall, watching the crowd fill the hall of the mansion of his father's friend._

"_This is boring," he muttered and wandered out of the hall into the garden at the back of the mansion. He closed his eyes and felt the cool breeze against his skin. He shivered a little but he did not mind, he liked the coolness instead. 'That damn old man,' he quietly thought as the memories of how he ended up in the party flashed through his head._

_**2 hours earlier…**_

"_Seishounen, hurry up! We're leaving!" Nanjiroh was knocking at his son's room's door._

_The door creaked opened a little, revealing a dazed Ryoma who was obviously just got up from his bed. He scratched the back of his head. "What is it, old man?" he said through a yawn._

"_You brat! Hurry and change now! We'll be late for the party!"_

"_Party what?"_

"_Were you not listening last dinner? I said we're going to Fuji's mansion."_

"_Fuji who?"_

"_Fuji Souta. A teammate in tennis when I was younger. When he heard that I came back from America, he organized a party or something like reunion."_

"_Ah. Have a safe trip then," Ryoma attempted to close the door only to be stopped by Nanjiroh by slipping his leg into the space between the door and frame._

"_IT HURTS!"_

'_Stupid old man.' Ryoma frowned. "What now?"_

"_You're coming." With that, he grabbed his son._

_**Back to his time…**_

'_Seriously,' Ryoma sighed. He then let his eyes wander around the garden, finally taking in its European style beauty. It matched perfectly the Victorian mansion, but something was off. Something was out of place. Approaching the huge tree, he looked up to see a tree house. An amused expression lit up his bored face. 'Great! It is my first time to actually see one.' Without any second thought, he climbed up._

_The tree house was just small. And it was actually fenced, it even had balcony. To Ryoma's estimation though, only three to five small kids can fit inside. Carefully, Ryoma entered the small door that was not actually closed._

"_Wow," he did not hide the surprise in what welcomed him. Inside the house were origamis hanging all over the place. Flowers made of paper were on several small jars, butterfly with sticks were placed near them. There were paper angels, swans, and many more scattered along the area._

_Caught into his own world, he did not notice the pair of cerulean eyes watching him from the door._

"_This is…" Ryoma muttered._

"_Origami," the boy answered with an amused voice._

_Startled, Ryoma turned around to see a beautiful kid, a bit taller than him. He had brown hair and his eyes were half-closed, smiling at him. He was so beautiful that he almost thought he was a girl. Looking down though, noting that the other kid was also in a small tuxedo. He frowned. "A boy."_

_Though Ryoma just whispered it to himself, the other boy still heard it. He laughed at that. More amused than ever. "What? Disappointed that I am a boy?"_

"_Aa…" Ryoma did not need to hide the truth. It's all out in open anyway._

"_Was I that beautiful?" said the boy._

'_Great! A narcissist.' Ryoma looked out of the window. "Not really."_

_The boy then just put back his usual smile. "What are you doing here?" he walked towards him, putting the newly folded paper crane at the small table near Ryoma._

"_Did you do that?" Ryoma quickly brushed off the question and focused on the object at the table. He sat and watched it with the others of the same kind arranged in rows. It was not like Ryoma was ignorant, it was just that origami was more popular in Japan than America that he had barely seen one before there. Little kid he was, he found that just a piece of paper being folded to form another object was interesting. "Did you do everything around here?"_

"_Not all, but most of it," the boy sat beside Ryoma, "Some were created by my Mom and Nee-san."_

_Ryoma then looked at the boy. "Ne, teach me," he commanded._

_The boy chuckled once more._

'I miss his laughs.' Ryoma's eyes shot open. He blinked once before closing his eyes once again. 'A dream from 11 years ago, huh.' He relaxed his body and looked outside the plane. The Japan was already in view, and not long later he would step onto the land that he had not visited for almost eight years.

**thousandthpapercranes**

**At some random cafe near Tokyo Daigaku...**

Fuji stared blankly outside the café through the transparent glass wall. He was watching the orange cat playing with its own fur at the side of the road. He then got his prized camera and took a shot of the cat with the greatest angle possible, not minding the invisible wall between them.

His friends sighed.

"Fuji, are you even listening?" Shiraishi asked.

Yukimura elbowed the friend at his right side gently, finally snapping Fuji's attention back to them.

"I am listening," Fuji smiled at them. "Oishi finally asked Eiji out, right? That's why they are not here."

Shiraishi frowned. When could he ever catch Fuji off guard? Even though he was already sure that Fuji's attention was not on them.

Fuji smiled at Shiraishi's frown. He leaned closer and poked his cheek. "Too bad ne, Kura-kun?" he teased as if he was reading what was Shiraishi was thinking.

Everyone then turned at Atobe when his phone started to alarm.

"You have plans?" Sanada asked. They already know everytime Atobe's phone alarms but having something scheduled was rare for the diva, especially when their group was out on an afternoon snack after school.

"Ah, yeah. I'm going to fetch someone," said Atobe. Everyone noticed the spark in their friend's eyes.

Yukimura, Fuji, and Shiraishi did not bother to stop their giggles while Sanada just smiled a little and Tezuka did not react.

"What?" a frown appeared in the diva's face. He really did not like it when his friends started to chuckle, especially Fuji and Yukimura.

"Who is this someone, Atobe?" Tezuka asked.

"Yeah, who is this someone who can make our diva's eyes sparkle?" Fuji repeated.

Atobe just smiled. "A close friend I met in America several years ago. Actually, he will start attending Todai tomorrow. The name is Echizen Ryoma."

"Oh? Now that's interesting," Fuji commented.

"I look forward to meeting him," Sanada added.

"Now, I gotta go. I don't want to be late at the airport. He's short-tempered, after all," with that, Atobe left the others at the café.

"Echizen Ryoma," Tezuka muttered.

"A worthy rival appeared, ne Tezuka?" Fuji teased his long time friend.

Tezuka just stared at him. His expression, not changing. Everyone in the group knew, except Atobe of course, that Tezuka was interested with Atobe. But at the same time, they also noticed that Tezuka was indecisive of who to pursue because he had developed an interest to Fuji as well.

"You need to hurry up, based on Atobe's looks, Echizen Ryoma is a step ahead of you," Fuji added as he looked outside once again, watching the disappearing car of Atobe.

Silence.

"Is that his way of saying he's already dumping Tezuka?" Shiraishi whispered finally to Sanada but was loud enough for everyone to hear. He garnered glares from both Yukimura and Sanada on this while Fuji and Tezuka acted like they never heard a thing. "Joke!" he immediately said as he was quickly shrinking at the glares he was receiving. The former captain and vice captain of Rikkaidai were no jokes.

Another silence followed. They looked at Fuji. They really don't know what's going on with his head sometimes. Comprehending how a genius's mind works…they already gave up on that. Was he doing this on purpose? Their friends knew that Fuji was not oblivious of Tezuka's feelings about him. So why was saying those?

Fuji sighed inwardly as he felt the stares of his friends at his back. Should have been better if he had not said a thing? But he meant it. 'Being indecisive is not always good, Tezuka. You need to choose before losing both, because you can't have both at the same time.'

Yukimura, on the other hand, felt like he knew what Fuji was thinking. Being his dorm mate last year and friend for a long time, he had somewhat traced the pattern of Fuji's mind. Set aside that they almost think like the same sometimes. 'Syuu-kun, you don't need to be so harsh.'

'Echizen Ryoma.' Fuji repeated in his mind, remembering the familiarity he felt when he heard the name. 'Rings a bell, where did I hear it before?'

**to be continued...**


	3. Chapter 02: Blue meets Gold

**A/N**: **Thank you** for the reviews and subscriptions! ^_^ This chapter is for **jury28**!

**Sorry!** Took a long time to update this story. Had a major writer's block in this chapter for a long time, I have rewritten it for three times in the past but can't get the feel I want to put into it so decided to delete all of it this morning and start again from scratch.

**'**thoughts**'**, **"**dialogs**"**, _past_

* * *

><p><strong>Thousandth Paper Crane<strong>

**Rated: **T

**Summary: **They met when they were kids then got separated by a tragedy. Reunited by fate. Only to be separated again, now by eternity. Playing against life and death, can they win? Now everything lies on the one thousandth paper crane and Fuji's last wish.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 02<strong>

"You're finally here," said a relieved voice as soon as Atobe and Echizen entered the dormitories.

"Kurosaki," Atobe acknowledged his presence. "Sorry we're late."

"It's alright. You made it before curfew," Kurosaki smiled. His eyes then moved to the boy beside Atobe. "You must be the new student, Echizen Ryoma-kun?"

Echizen bowed a little. "Yes. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Kurosaki Ryuu, the dorm leader, nice to meet you too," said the other. Kurosaki had long dark blue hair that was tied at the back of his head, his eyes were the unusual gray, and his height…around 177 cm. "You must be tired, right? Let's head to your room. Your things already arrived this morning."

"Can't Ryoma stay with Ore-sama?" Atobe asked as he followed the way Kurosaki was leading.

"Can't."

"Why?"

"Well, Tezuka-chan is already staying with you."

"Stop adding –chan to his name. Gross!"

Kurosaki laughed. "A room is only good for two. Can you actually ask Tezuka to transfer room just for your selfishness?"

Atobe frowned. "It's not for my selfishness. Ore-sama just thought that it would be easier for Echizen to adjust if he would stay with someone he knows."

"Hm. I think Echizen-kun will do fine even just by himself. Also, I found a great roommate for him." Kurosaki stopped in front of Room 427. "Here we are."

"Eh? Isn't this…" Atobe's voice trailed off.

KNOCK. KNOCK. The door opened, revealing a messed up person. Messed up? Well, that meant his hair was not combed, there were dark large bulges under both his eyes and obviously, he didn't have enough strength to even stand up properly.

"Eck? You alright, Akaya-kun?" Kurosaki was surprised to see the boy without any energy at all.

"Kurosaki-senpai…help!"

Kurosaki sighed. "What is it this time?"

"Impossible! There's no way I can finish the paper! Tomorrow's the submission!" Kirihara's voice was near to crying.

"Why don't you ask Yukimura? You both have the same course, right? He's one of the top students in your department." Atobe asked and this earned him a glare from Kirihara.

Kurosaki laughed. "I also told him that but he glared at me too. When I asked him why, he just said that he doesn't like Yukimura," he murmured to Atobe.

"Doesn't like Yukimura, huh," the diva muttered to himself. "To think that someone would actually dislike Yukimura. What exactly did he do?"

"Anyway, I brought your new roommate," Kurosaki introduced Echizen Ryoma though the seaweed hair didn't pay much attention. He was not interested and his mind was still caught in the whirl of the paper he needed to finish.

"Excuse him for now, Echizen. He must be worrying about his paper. He is a second year in ToDai, taking Literature," Kurosaki said. "There are not much of dorm rules. Just that nine pm is curfew. If you have any question. You can ask him or just approach me. You can also ask Atobe."

Echizen nodded.

"We'll be leaving now then."

"See you tomorrow, Ryoma," said Atobe.

"Uhn. Thanks."

* * *

><p>It was already dark inside the dormitories. All lights were off except the light in Room 427. Akaya was still busy with his papers while Ryoma just finished unpacking his things.<p>

"I'm going out," said Ryoma after he had showered. He wanted to have a little walk and needed some fresh air.

"You can't wander around the dorm at night," Akaya told him, his eyes still focused on the laptop. "The guards patrolling might catch you."

'Oh? At least he's still aware that he has a roommate.' "It's already morning though, one in the morning."

"That's not what I mean."

"It's alright. Just do what you need to do. You don't have enough time to mind other business."

Akaya turned to confront Echizen but the door was already closed. "How rude." He sighed. "But still, even if I won't sleep now, I won't make it in time." He yawned. "And I'm already sleepy."

* * *

><p>"Quite dark," Echizen muttered to himself as he hopped down from the large window frame he was sitting in not so long ago. He decided to walk back to his room but halted walking when he felt a pair of eyes watching him from the shadows. "Stop hiding. I can feel your stare."<p>

"What are you doing here?" the boy asked, stepping into Echizen's sight. But all Ryoma saw was the other guy's silhouette because of the moonlight reflecting in the window behind the guy. He was skinny and a bit taller than him. His hair was almost reaching his shoulders. "Dorm residents are not allowed to wander around during this time."

"Then how about yo—"

He was unable to finish his sentence when the boy suddenly grabbed and pulled him into the shadows.

"Wha—?" Lips immediately covered his. 'What the hell?'

Slowly, the boy opened his eyes, revealing the sharp cerulean ones and meeting Ryoma's golden eyes.

'Sharp blue, just like his.' Reminding Echizen of someone he loved from the past, he totally forgot about the situation he was currently in. The next thing he knew, he was already responding to the kiss. And he knew that the kiss was getting more passionate and hungrier when the guy licked his lower lip, asking for entrance which he complied without any second thought. They both battled for dominance but he lost and instead moaned into the pleasure which pulled his consciousness back to sanity. He heard several footsteps going away from their hiding place.

"The patrol's done. No one's around," a voice said.

"Was it just my imagination when I heard some people talking awhile ago?" said another voice.

"Aren't you hearing too much? Or maybe you really heard something. This building has some legends, you know?"

"Stop it. Anyway, let's go."

"Yeah."

They finally pulled away, silence followed which was only broken by their pants as they caught up with their own breaths.

"Sorry about that. That's the easiest way to shut you up," said the guy afterwards. He was perfectly calm, no hint of any disarray in his emotion. It was as if kissing some stranger was a normal thing.

"Bastard," Ryoma's voice was stern as he wiped his lips with the back of his palm.

The guy laughed lightly. "Don't wander anymore and go back to your room. Till next time."

Ryoma's eyes widened at this. Realizing the familiarity of the sound of his chuckle. "Wait! You—!"

But no one was around anymore. The guy whose face he hadn't even seen was nowhere near to be found.

* * *

><p>Ryoma walked back to his room, still thinking about what happened and forcefully pushing it to the back of his mind when he saw someone leaving their room and walking away as quietly as possible. 'Kirihara?' But no, it wasn't him. Ryoma was sure the guy that left was taller than Akaya and he had far gentler curls on his longer hair compared to the seaweed guy.<p>

"I'm back," said Ryoma but received no answer. He found Kirihara still sitting in his desk but was already snoring in front of the laptop. "He fell asleep."

He approached him, thinking of waking him up just in case he was not yet done and was having an unwanted sleep but he stopped half-way when he noticed a not so big comforter wrapped against his body. It was not like Akaya to put it himself. Ryoma checked the laptop and found out that the paper Akaya was working on was already done.

"I see," Ryoma muttered to himself before heading to his bed. He needed to sleep or else he'd be late on his first day.

* * *

><p>Fuji did not even bother to turn on the light when he entered his room. He headed to his bed immediately and laid with a bit loud thud. He might be perfectly calm on the outside but he knew something was stirred deep inside him. He couldn't explain the other feelings that were surfacing but he identified one clearly: thrill.<p>

_It was the usual night for Fuji. Going out of his room in the middle of the night just to go to the rooftop and took a picture of the city at night. After taking pictures, he would stay there for awhile until past midnight. He was on his way to his room when he heard footsteps going down on the stairs. Out of curiosity, he followed the steps which brought him to the ground floor. There he saw, the perfect piece for his camera lens._

_Not so soon later, the guy hopped down and neared the stairs but stopped halfway. "Stop hiding. I can feel your stare."_

"_What are you doing here?" Fuji asked, keeping the thoughts like 'How did you know I was watching you?' "Dorm residents are not allowed to wander around during this time."_

"_Then how about yo—"_

_Fuji did not have enough time to let the other finish his sentence when he heard the approaching voices. He pulled the other guy to where he was, wrapped his right arms to Ryoma's waist while his left hand worked at the back of the younger's neck. He took his lips without any hesitation before the guy started protesting._

_He did not plan the kiss to be long. He was not the type to actually kiss some stranger but for some reason, impulse worked first before mind. He just thought that they needed not to be caught, that's all, so why was he actually enjoying the kiss and was a having pleasure in doing it? Addition to the shock he felt because of his own action was the fact that the other was responding to him. His right arm around Ryoma's waist loosened and his left hand moved to the right cheek of Ryoma. He knew he was losing it especially when he heard the moan from the other so he was thankful that the voices of the patrol guards got louder as they approached their place. It stopped him from getting carried away._

"_Sorry about that. That's the easiest way to shut you up," Fuji finally found the words he needed to say. _

"_Bastard," the madness and strain in the other's voice was obvious but Fuji found this rather interesting. To actually hear those words from someone who enjoyed the kiss._

_He chuckled. "Don't wander anymore and go back to your room. Till next time." Yes, till next time because Fuji knew that he would meet the boy again. He was confident to the point that he decided that there was no need to get his name._

"Welcome back," said Fuji with a smile when he heard the click of the door.

"I'm back," Yukimura replied. He turned the lights on and found Fuji looking at the screen of his camera. "I did not know you were still up."

"You came to his room, right? How was he doing?"

"Not good if I had not checked him."

"Good thing you're watching over him then. It still makes me wonder though why you are interested in someone who shows hostility openly towards you."

Yukimura smiled. "Don't you think it's more exciting that way? Being liked all the time is boring."

"Indeed, it is." Fuji laughed and finally looked up from what he was doing. Yukimura met his eyes and noticed the unusual excitement reflecting on them.

"Did something happen? You're in a good mood."

Fuji's smile widened. "You could say that. I finally found a good subject for my camera."

'To think that someone actually caught Syuu-chan's eyes.' Yukimura turned the lights off and headed to his bed. "Now, I want to meet that subject of yours."

"Soon, Sei-chan. Good night!" Fuji put the camera on the side table.

"Good night!" Yukimura's eyes caught the picture on the screen of the camera before it turned off. Wind blowing the dark olive green hair and full moon reflecting on golden eyes as the boy sat beside the big window and leaned his back idly at its frame. Yukimura's eyes narrowed when he realized who the subject Fuji was referring to. 'Echizen Ryoma, huh. How would he react?'

**to be continued...**


	4. Chapter 03: Bet of Red and Silver

**A/N**: **Thank you** for the reviews and subscriptions! ^_^

This chapter is for **NEKO. NEKO. KYUUN**. Because your review pointed two or** three vital points**. :D

**One is genre**. I did not put it in genre since we're just allowed to enter max 2 but this story also belongs to **supernatural genre**. We're dealing with the wish and thousand paper cranes after all but at the same time, I am keeping it close to reality as much as possible. So the only supernatural in this story anything that has to do with the paper cranes. Anyway, I still changed one of the genre entered into supernatural. ^_^

**Two is the twist**. Most of the stories I wrote so far have this.

**Three is ending**. Though we still got a bit more chapters before that. I leave the decision to the readers of how they will view the ending once the story ends, if it is either a happy or bittersweet one.

**NOTE!: '**thoughts**'**, **"**dialogs**"**, _past_

* * *

><p><strong>Thousandth Paper Crane<strong>

**Rated: **T

**Summary: **They met when they were kids then got separated by a tragedy. Reunited by fate. Only to be separated again, now by eternity. Playing against life and death, can they win? Now everything lies on the one thousandth paper crane and Fuji's last wish.

* * *

><p><strong>Thousandth Paper Crane<strong>

**Chapter 03**

"**NNNOOOOOOOOO!**" the cry rang throughout the room, into the hallways, into the lobby, and even reached the canteen.

Kurosaki coughed into his coffee while sitting in front of one of the tables for four in the cafeteria. Several others who were also having their breakfast stopped for awhile and looked around.

"What was that?" Sanada asked as he joined Shiraishi and Oishi on the table beside Kurosaki's.

"Probably, it's Akaya-kun," Kurosaki smiled and shifted his gaze to Yukimura who was sitting opposite to him. "Right, Yuki-chan?"

The others also looked at Yukimura who just smiled gently at them. Kirihara was popular to their circle. Yukimura showed interest to the younger boy since he met him and they also knew how Kirihara rejected every advances of their friend, even if the advance their friend made was only to offer help. Yes, they knew with the exception of Atobe who was obviously uninterested when it comes to the businesses of both Yukimura and Fuji. Rather of being uninterested, it's better to say he didn't want to get involved.

Yukimura nodded as he sliced the pancake in front of him, thinking of how he really wanted to see Kirihara's expression now. "He fell asleep without finishing his papers last night."

"Which you finished anyway. Akaya-chan is lucky naa…" Kurosaki sighed. "How I wish someone would do something like that for me too."

"Why don't you ask Red-san to do something like that?" Sanada suggested after putting the cup of coffee down.

"Impossible. That fella enjoys torturing people!" Kurosaki gave a cold stare that made even Sanada flinch. Without further ado though, Kurosaki immediately returned his warm smile before looking back at Yukimura. "How about it Yuki-chan? Want to be my boyfriend?"

Yukimura chuckled. This was one of the reasons why he liked Kurosaki. Random and care-free but at the same time full of mystery. After all, they knew nothing about him except that he had a very close friend called Red. "I don't mind but are you sure about that?"

"Stop it, Kurosaki-san, Yukimura," said Oishi. That's why he always thought that whenever Yukimura and Kurosaki were together, someone must keep an eye on them. Who knows what they might do. But setting those thoughts aside, he feared more what Red could do to them when she's angry. Well, it's not like he needed to worry for them. Those two are 'those two' after all. "Red-san will get mad if she heard that conversation."

"Tsk. Oishi's no fun." Kurosaki frowned and his voice turned bored. "So, what's your plan, Yuki-chan?"

"Plan?"

"About Kirihara."

"Hm. Nothing in particular. I actually like the part of him not liking me. It's interesting."

"But to be disliked the first time they met. It's unusual," Shiraishi commented. His eyes searching around the canteen while he rested his chin on his palm and leaned his right elbow on the table. "Maybe you've done something bad to him in your past life?"

"Past life, eh? You sure have a great imagination, Shiraishi. No wonder you and Red really get along well," said Kurosaki with a smile. A smile Shiraishi did not like. "And also, you won't find Fuji no matter how hard you roll your eyes. He already left."

"Who was looking for Fuji?" Shiraishi cleared his throat. "Since we're at it, why did he left early. His class starts at ten."

Yukimura, Kurosaki, and Oishi laughed while Sanada raised a brow before smiling. "Since we're at it, eh?"

"He has some business to take care of," Yukimura simply answered before standing up. "My class starts at nine so I'm leaving. See you later."

"What business?" Shiraishi asked, expecting that Kurosaki might know something. Kurosaki was someone who knew everything as long as they were under his care. An amazing but at the same scary dorm leader.

"Who knows? Maybe he found something interesting too?" Kurosaki stood up too and smiled meaningfully to Shiraishi. "Rather someone?" He got his tray and whispered something in Shiraishi's ears with seriousness before walking away. "Beware Shiraishi-kun! A potential love rival appeared!" He added as he laughed loudly before he totally disappeared from their sights.

"A potential love rival, eh?" Oishi looked at Shiraishi who was now completely absorbed in his own world. Sighing, he turned to Sanada who just gave a slight shrug.

* * *

><p><strong>On the other hand…<strong>

"**NNNOOOOOOOOO!**"

Ryoma's eyes automatically opened and he immediately sat up. "Wh-what?"

"I fell asleep! Echizen, I fell asleep!" Kirihara cried.

"You! Is that all?" Ryoma groaned.

"What do you mean 'is that all?'? I haven't finished my paper!"

Ryoma sighed. "Why don't you check your work first?"

Akaya followed what Ryoma said and found that the paper was already done. "What? … Why? H-how?" He turned to look at Ryoma, his eyes sparkling with gratitude.

"It was not me. When I returned last night, it was already done."

"Then who?"

Ryoma shrugged.

"Then, whoever you are, I really thank you! I promise to treat you some takoyaki when we meet!"

"Seriously, what time do you think it is? Waking me up so early."

"What time is your class?"

"Eight."

"It's already 7:48."

"Say that earlier!"

* * *

><p>Ryoma tsk-ed when he thought he got the wrong way again. Supposedy, Atobe would be with him since they both have the same course but the schedule of their morning classes did not match so Ryoma had no choice but to go by himself. "Just where exactly the Business Administration building is?"<p>

"Straight ahead then turn left. You'll easily identify it since it was made of glass," a voice answered.

"Ah, thanks." Ryoma ran away without even looking back and seeing the person who helped him.

"Business Ad. I see," Syusuke smiled to himself. He was leaning at the wall of one building when Ryoma passed by him while muttering something about Business Ad building. "Found you."

Ryoma stopped on his track when he realized the familiarity of the voice. Quickly, he whipped his head back but there's no way he could find the guy in the midst of the crowd of rushing students. "Why am I looking for him, anyway?"

* * *

><p>Lunch had long passed but Atobe had not taken anything yet. He stood by the entrance to the Business Ad building, waiting for someone. His classes was already done two hours earlier but needed to take care of some Student Council business.<p>

"That Ryoma, he's late!" He impatiently tapped his foot.

"Atobe!" Eiji waved at him as he ran towards him. Eiji was also taking the same course with Atobe. His classes was just done and now's the time that they would be gathering to have their afternoon snack. Though it's more likely to be called afternoon lunch. "Were you waiting for me? That's rare!"

"Not really." Atobe answered. Even though they had the same circle of friends, Atobe and Eiji were not really that close.

"Keigo!"

Eiji was startled when someone suddenly appeared behind him, calling Atobe 'Keigo' since the diva found it very rude to call someone by his given name, but he couldn't be more surprise when he turned around to see the person.

"E-Echizen…?" It was almost inaudible. Atobe would not know what Eiji said if he had not read his lips.

"Ki…kumaru?" Echizen was surprised too. He had not expected to see someone he had known from the past. Well, maybe he also considered that he might see someone he knew but never someone who was close to him and to _that_ boy.

"Is that really you?" Eiji's hanging mouth turned into a sincere smile when Echizen nodded. He quickly hugged the boy tightly. "It's been a long time, Ochibi!"

"L-let go, Kikumaru. C-can't breathe."

"It's Kikumaru-senpai! I'm your senpai now, you know?"

Atobe raised a brow at the scene in front of him. He did not know that Echizen was close to someone in Japan aside from him. But more than that, he's irritated that someone was actually hugging the younger boy. He pulled Eiji away from Echizen when he saw that the latter was struggling for air. "So, you knew each other?"

"Uhn," Echizen simply answered.

"How?" They started to walk away from the building, towards the usual café to meet their other friends.

Echizen contemplated for awhile, thinking of how he would answer the question because there's a possibility that the conversation might lead to something he did not like to talk about. "He was a friend from the past."

"Obviously. I know you used to visit Japan when you were younger but you never mentioned anything about your stay here. To actually think you know Kikumaru. So, how did you meet?"

Eiji's eyebrow met. He's worried of Echizen, he knew about what happened in the past and now that he saw Echizen was hesitant, he could say that the younger boy was still not over it yet.

"He was introduced."

"By?"

Echizen's teeth clenched as he unintentionally stopped on his tracks. His eyes looking down, but staring far beyond the ground. "By another friend."

Atobe and Eiji stopped walking and looked back at Echizen.

"Friend wh—" Atobe wanted to know more but Eiji covered the former's mouth with the palm of his hand.

"We're here! Look, the others are already waiting. Talk about that some other time. Introduce Echizen first to the others, Atobe," Eiji exclaimed and pulled the two inside the café.

Atobe wanted to know more but considering the way the two behaved earlier, he decided to just let it be. He would just wait for Echizen to tell him or ask Eiji instead.

"Don't ask me. Just wait patiently and you'll know eventually," Eiji quickly said in a low voice when he met the diva's eyes. "I'm not in the position to say anything."

* * *

><p>On their usual table, Sanada, Oishi, Shiraishi, and Tezuka were already waiting. Several others were missing, especially the most punctual Fuji. Atobe did not waste any second and quickly introduced Echizen to everyone. They greeted Echizen back although one of them was not really paying attention: Shiraishi, and one paying too much attention up to the point that Echizen felt a bit intimidated by his gaze: Tezuka. Oishi was kind and caring while Sanada was formal was what Echizen thought.<p>

"Sorry, I'm late." Yukimura was smiling pleasantly till he saw those golden eyes. An awkward silence followed when everyone felt the sudden tension created by the two. "Echizen," he finally acknowledged.

"Y-Yukimura-san." Echizen was totally taken off guard. Eiji was supposed to be enough for the day but meeting even Yukimura shortly after was a bit too much shock to him. Why did he meet the people that had something to do with _that_ boy now? What he was trying so hard to bury in the pit of his mind quickly resurfaced just by seeing those familiar faces.

Yukimura tapped Echizen's head gently and ruffled his hair lightly when he saw how disturbed Echizen was. It was a usual gesture he used to do to Echizen from the past. Doing this, Echizen relaxed a bit. "Nice to finally see you again, Echizen."

Echizen nodded lightly. "Uhm, excuse me for a bit. I'll just go buy Ponta." It was an excuse to escape. He needed air. He needed a little time to at least absorbed what happened.

"Alright."

Everyone was silent after Echizen left. Their eyes were all on Yukimura.

"I was already surprised that Eiji knew Echizen but was even more surprised to know that you actually know him," Atobe's arms were crossed in front of him and an irritated expression was all over his face. Awhile ago, Eiji casually hugged Echizen and now Yukimura ruffled his hair like it was a natural thing. To top it off, because of those two, Echizen showed a side of him he never let Atobe see before. "Do you mind to explain?"

"Nothing much to explain actually," said Yukimura. "We just met when we were younger then became friends and playmates."

"Then why did he react like that after seeing you two? He was totally tensed."

Yukimura gave Atobe the look that was saying 'Don't ask anymore.' The diva felt the shiver and decided to drop it. It's been a really long time since he last saw it, that cold yet authoritative look.

"Fine," Atobe sighed. "Just one more thing. I don't want to be surprise anymore. I just thought that since the two of you are the closest friend of Fuji, does Fuji know him too?"

Yukimura looked outside, a bored expression on his face, but sadness reflected on his eyes. "No, Fuji doesn't know him."

"I see."

"Speaking of Fuji, where is he?" Sanada asked. No one answered so they all looked at Yukimura, Tezuka, and Shiraishi.

"I haven't seen him since this morning," said Yukimura.

"I don't know," Tezuka nonchalantly answered while Shiraishi was still caught in his own world. He did not even notice the others' eyes on him.

"Shiraishi?" Eiji called.

"He has been like that since this morning after what Kurosaki-san told him," said Oishi.

"What did he say?"

"Something about a love rival. Looks like Fuji found someone he likes."

"Huh?" Both Eiji and Atobe exclaimed while Sanada noticed the twitch in Tezuka's eyebrows.

'What exactly did Kurosaki-san tell him? If it was just simply love rival, he won't be disturbed this much.' Yukimura was serious when he glanced at Shiraishi. Though Kurosaki was one his favorite people, Yukimura never liked it whenever he said something that would worry his friends.

"Yukimura, you know something?" Tezuka finally asked.

"Who knows? How about we wait for him and ask him?" Yukimura smiled. "Just for safety measures. Those blue eyes are really scary when you get on his bad side, after all."

"Blue eyes," Shiraishi muttered. Realization dawning on him. He suddenly stood up. "I'm just going to look for Fuji," he said and quickly left.

"Shiraishi is seriously weird today," Eiji commented.

"Did Kurosaki-san say anything else aside from love rival?" Tezuka asked. "It just that I don't think Shiraishi will act this way just because of it."

"Well, we did not hear any suspicious statement from him other than that," said Oishi.

"But Kurosaki-san whispered something to Shiraishi before leaving this morning," Sanada added.

Yukimura picked the tissue paper that was under Shiraishi's chair. Shiraishi must have dropped it earlier since the handwriting style on the tissue was his. Yukimura's eyes widened after reading what was written on it and quickly ran out of the café, surprising everyone, and following Shiraishi's steps. 'Damn Kurosaki!'

* * *

><p>"Who are you looking at?" Kurosaki suddenly appeared and stood beside her at the rooftop. His eyes following the direction the other person was looking down at. A certain cafe just across the university.<p>

"Looks like Syusuke made his move." Red was smiling her no eyes smile when she looked up to see Kurosaki. Her reddish brown hair was like Ryoma's and was pinned on one side. She stood 171 cm and has a slender body. She almost looked like Fuji, except for the hairstyle and the eye color. Her real gender? Male. So instead of she, it must be he.

"No, not yet. He was just interested especially after what happened last night," it was not the usual goofy Kurosaki. His voice was indifferent and his eyes showed no emotion.

"So, I'm wrong?" Red opened his eyes, revealing the intensity behind his words because Red was always right.

"Tsk. I didn't mean it like that." Kurosaki tensed for a second before relaxing again. "Seriously, your red eyes are creepy."

"Do they scare you?"

"No. I actually love them."

"Just like how Ryoma loves Syusuke's blue eyes?"

Kurosaki smiled gently. "Probably."

Red chuckled. "Ne, Ryuu-chan, humans are interesting, no?"

"You talk like you're not one."

"Oh, am I? You talk like you're one."

Kurosaki scratched the back of his head. "Thanks for reminding me."

"I wonder…"

"Hm?"

"I wonder," Red turned serious. "…who will be it this time." He then smiled but there was no hint of happiness in it. "Let's have a bet!"

"What bet?"

* * *

><p>Echizen leaned under the tree near the vending machine. He felt tired. He was not mentally prepared to meet his past again. He thought he had moved on but seeing them personally, the thought he had clearly became a lie. But there's no point in dwelling on it, it's already in the past. What was done can never be undone. He should just face the present and stop running away. It was him who decided to go back to Japan, he should have expected much.<p>

He was walking his way back to the café when he saw _him_ exiting the ToDai gate.

.

.

'Brown hair.'

.

.

'Smiling face.'

.

.

Echizen was frozen in his spot. "Syusuke…"

_._

_Right, seeing a familiar face, he should have expected much._

.

"Syusuke…" he trembled as his voice got louder.

_._

_But not this much. Was he dreaming?_

.

"Syusuke!" he called once again as the brunet crossed the street. The brunet stopped halfway and searched where the voice was coming from. Then, his eyes met Echizen's.

.

.

.

'Blue eyes.'

.

.

.

_Really, he must just be dreaming._

* * *

><p>Fuji was humming happily as he made his way to the café. He should have been dismissed earlier but the sudden meeting of their organization took his time considerably. It was when he was already crossing the street when he heard his name called.<p>

"Syusuke!" He looked around and saw the least expected person to know him. He was standing at the other side of the road, staring at him intently. Fuji's eyes opened wide, it was already a surprise to know that Echizen knew his name but what surprised him the most was the younger guy's expression. Was it sadness? Longing? What's up with those golden teary eyes? He felt a pang of sadness and pain upon meeting those eyes.

"Echizen," he uttered just in time a loud horn was heard. He was so caught into Echizen that he did not notice his surroundings. He turned to look at his left and he was frozen.

There was nothing left to say.

.

.

.

"**SYUSUKE!**"

* * *

><p>"I wonder," Red turned serious. "…who will be it this time." He then smiled but there was no hint of happiness in it. "Let's have a bet!"<p>

"What bet?"

The wind blew strongly and the scarf around Red's neck flew along with it. Half a second later, a loud horn and unsettling screech of tires against the rough road was heard. "**Bet of who will die.**"

* * *

><p><strong>to be continued...<strong>


	5. Chapter 04: Lie

**A/N**: Yeah, this story is back. :)

**NOTE!**: **"**dialogs**"**, _**'**thoughts**'**_, _past_

* * *

><p><strong>Thousandth Paper Crane<strong>

**Rated**: T

**Summary**: They met when they were kids then got separated by a tragedy. Reunited by fate. Only to be separated again, now by eternity. Playing against life and death, can they win? Now everything lies on the one thousandth paper crane and Fuji's last wish.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 04<strong>

"Let's have a bet!"

"What bet?"

The wind blew strongly followed by a loud horn and unsettling screech of tires against the rough road. "Bet of who will die."

* * *

><p>"<em>Life once agreed that red and blue are fine, but never blue and gold;<em>

_Just like the story of the past that once Time told;_

_Only one will be saved once Fate is unrolled;_

_Let them meet this time and Death, once again, will be called."_

* * *

><p>Shiraishi was obviously confused when he heard Kurosaki's words. They did not make sense to him but still tried to understand beyond them. It was rare to see him serious, and everytime he saw him like this, something unlikeable happens. The words never left his mind to the point that he unconsciously wrote them on a piece of tissue while waiting for his friends at the café.<p>

_'Blue eyes.'_ As if they were keywords, a piece of Shiraishi's locked memories was opened. He ran at his full speed away from the café. Kurosaki's words echoed through his head as he comprehended the meaning behind them. '_Echizen's eyes were gold.'_ Though the words still didn't make sense, his instinct was already yelling at him that something was off. And the last sentence was clear, let them meet and Death will be called. They shouldn't meet.

Yukimura picked the tissue paper that was under Shiraishi's chair. His eyes widened after reading what was written on it and quickly ran out of the café, following Shiraishi's steps. He quietly cursed Kurosaki for giving Shiraishi a clue.

The others were surprised with Shiraishi's and Yukimura's sudden actions. Oishi looked at the ones who were left. "What happened?"

"I was surprised-nya!" Eiji exclaimed.

Atobe's eyebrows met, he never likes it when he knows nothing. Even Tezuka's eyes widened a little and raised a brow afterwards. Sanada was the only who was not surprised, he calmly sipped at the cup of his coffee and looked outside after setting the cup down.

"Shiraishi!" Yukimura called as he searched for the other boy. He was relieved when he immediately found him on the road side but tensed when he saw the horror in his friend's eyes that were looking intently on the road. Yukimura swallowed the uncomfortable lump on his throat and slowly faced the road. Oh, how he wished his instincts were wrong!

_'No good still, huh.'_ Yukimura clenched his fists tightly and gritted his teeth. He could not look away.

* * *

><p><em>The thirteen-year old Fuji Syusuke could not sleep. He went to bed early that night but three hours have passed and he was still awake. He frowned, "He is taking too long!"<em>

_And then the phone rang._

_As fast as the lightning, he was already out of bed and was at the phone stand. "Ryo-chan?!"_

"_Hn. You're still up?"_

_Syusuke's smile widened. Ryoma was an hour late in calling, Syusuke took note of that and planned to make the other pay for making him wait once they meet again._

_It had been six months since this daily call routine started. The Echizen family moving back to America several months ago was a surprise to the two boys. Nonetheless, they managed to keep in touch through calls and letters. They would talk about what happened to them that day, about Eiji and Yukimura, and other nonsense and whatnot._

"_By the way, I might call earlier tomorrow. Around three in the afternoon there," said Ryoma before saying his good night._

"_I'll be waiting." Then there was a silence. "Ryo-chan, if ever you're late again…"_

"_Tch. I got it."_

"_Good night, Ryo-chan."_

"_Aa… Good night Syusuke."_

"_Love you, Ryo-chan!"_

"_Aa…"_

"_L-O-V-E Y-O-U, RYO-CHAN." The genius repeated with a menacing voice. He would hear what he wanted to hear._

_Syusuke could hear the gulp at the other end of the phone, then a sigh. "Love you too."_

_Then there was a chuckle before the beep tone._

_~~~ O ~~~ O ~~~_

_**The next day…**_

"_Are you sure you don't want to come, Syusuke?" Yumiko asked for the last time. She stopped at the door of the car._

_Syusuke just smiled. "Yes, Nee-san (Elder sister)."_

_Yumiko gave him a worried look before hopping in on the passenger seat beside Yuuta._

"_Have fun!" Syusuke waved at his siblings and parents before the driver accelerated the car. The boy went back inside the house with a contented smile. How could he go when he's waiting for someone's call?_

_He looked at the antique clock in the living room, two more hours before three pm. "I'll sleep until then and wake up before three."_

_._

_._

_._

_He should not have fallen asleep._

_~~~ O ~~~ O ~~~_

_The hand struck three and the clock chimed but no one noticed it as all the workers ran out of the burning mansion, saving themselves as their top priorities. Some cried, some frozen, but all of them were engulfed in fear and worry. They stood outside, waiting for the arrival of ambulance and firefighters._

"_Where's the young master?" one of the workers asked when he finally noticed their master's absence._

_Everyone's eyes widened further. No one could answer him._

_Just in time, the phone rang. It continued to ring but its sound was drowned in fire._

_._

_._

_._

_It was never answered._

* * *

><p>Ryoma slowly opened his eyes. The unanswered tone of the phone still ringing in his head. He was not surprised anymore. It was a usual dream for him, a dream that continues to torture him and to remind him that it was his fault that Syusuke died. He did not hate it, rather, he was grateful of the dream because it continued to be a reminder for him. Reminder of his sin. Reminder that he was the one who killed his beloved.<p>

"Ryoma," Atobe called.

Ryoma blinked and looked at Atobe.

"Are you alright, Echizen-kun?" Yukimura asked.

Ryoma sat up. "Aa…" He nodded.

"Nothing hurts, Ochibi?" Kikumaru followed.

Ryoma simply shook his head. Trying to remember what happened and why these people gathered around him. Then it all clicked. Just when a vehicle was about to run through someone, he ran and save the supposed-to-be victim. His eyes immediately located a certain brunet. His eyes widened as Fuji approached him. 'Syusuke' he wanted to say but couldn't find his voice. He wanted to reach his hands out to him but couldn't move. He was too shock that he wondered if he were just dreaming again because if he were, he wouldn't want to wake up. He would want to stay asleep and stay with the person he used to love, to stay with the person he thought he lost, with the person he thought was supposed to be dead.

"Thank goodness you're finally awake." Fuji sighed in relief as he stood beside the bed of Ryoma. He smiled genuinely as he faced the younger boy. "Thank you for saving me! I'm Fuji Syusuke…" Fuji trailed off when he saw a silent tear dropped from Ryoma's left eye. He was surprised. Everyone was surprised.

"Ryoma/Echizen/Ochibi!" Atobe, Yukimura, and Eiji simultaneously called.

"Are you alright?" Atobe added.

But Ryoma could not hear the others. It became a world of just him and Syusuke. "Syusuke…" his voice was hoarse and almost inaudible. 'Syusuke, Syusuke, Syusuke.' But the name was repeatedly called inside his head, loud and clear.

Fuji was confused. He was confused as to why was Echizen showing him a painful and longing expression. Why did Echizen cry when he heard his name? Did he do something? Did he remind him of something? He was not sure of what to do, of what to say. "Yes?"

"Syusuke. You are Syusuke, right?"

Fuji looked at his friends, seeking some answers or even just a clue as to why Echizen was reacting this way. But everyone was quiet. Both Tezuka and Sanada were serious and observant, Atobe and Shiraishi were equally confused, Oishi was worried. Eiji was fiddling with his fingers as he kept on moving his eyes from him and Ryoma to Yukimura as if waiting for Yukimura's actions. Then he met Yukimura's eyes but he could not read anything, they were too deep and Fuji wanted to know what he was thinking to have those eyes.

Noticing that Fuji was staring at him, Yukimura cleared his throat. Everyone turned their heads on him except Ryoma. "I think Echizen needs more rest." He smiled _pleasantly_ at them. Those deep thinking eyes were no more. "It would be wise to leave him alone for now."

"But…" Atobe started and pondered for awhile. He looked at Fuji and then at Ryoma. Maybe either Eiji or Yukimura, if not Ryoma, would answer his questions this time. "I got it."

Fuji turned on his heels and was about to leave when a hand grasped his wrist. He looked down at the connection and to the owner of the hand. Echizen's were pleading as he shook his head.

"Please…" he said, "Don't leave me again."

Atobe's eyebrows furrowed. Pain flashed across his eyes. The pain, sadness, gentleness, softness that Echizen was showing was new to him. Never once did the brat showed those to him but Fuji, who he supposedly just met have immediately seen this. Why? Who was Fuji to him?

"Ryoma!" His voice higher than usual. He was having a hard time controlling his emotions. He wanted to bombard the younger boy with lots of questions. But no, he could not do that now, could he? He just got into an accident. He heaved a sigh and put a hand over Echizen's hand that was holding Fuji's wrist. With the calmest and gentlest voice he could muster, he said, "He won't leave, Ryoma. We will just be outside."

Finally, Ryoma's eyes left Fuji and looked at Atobe. "Kei."

"Listen to me and get some rest, 'kay?"

"But Syusuke, he—"

"Don't worry, he won't go anywhere. We'll be waiting outside." Why must he reassure his loved one about another guy's presence? Atobe clenched his jaw and quickly relaxed, then glanced at Yukimura. "Looks like someone wants to talk to you one-on-one." Atobe kissed the top of Ryoma's head before leaving.

"Echizen." Yukimura sat at the chair beside the bed as soon as the door was shut, leaving the two of them behind.

"Yukimura-san."

"We need to talk about Syuu-chan and about the Fuji Syusuke you just met."

* * *

><p>As soon as they were outside the room, Atobe cornered Fuji into a wall and slammed his hand on the side of Fuji's head. "FUJI, YOU—!" <em>'Who exactly are you? Who are you to Ryoma? What is your relationship with Ryoma? What happened between you and Ryoma?!' <em>Too many questions that words seemed to be not enough to express them.

"W-wait, wait Atobe-san!" Eiji exclaimed.

"Calm down, Atobe," Tezuka ordered. Atobe complied and retreated.

"I thought Fuji doesn't know him?!" Atobe faced Eiji.

"And I really don't," Fuji answered.

"Then what happened earlier?!"

"Atobe, your voice," Tezuka reminded.

"But Tezuka—"

Tezuka gave him a stern look which softened afterwards. "Why don't we wait for an explanation? I'm sure Yukimura or Kikumaru have some answers."

Then they all expectantly looked at Eiji. He continued to fiddle with his fingers as he slowly retreated to Oishi's back.

"Eiji."

The cat jumped a little at Fuji's voice. He never liked it when his best friend's voice turns cold. Oishi looked at him tenderly. "Why don't you tell us?"

Eiji gave a worried look first then nodded. "Fujiko-chan doesn't really know Ochibi-chan."

"Then why is Echizen?" Shiraishi asked.

"That was because…" Eiji hesitated.

* * *

><p>"Echizen," Yukimura started. "You should know already that Syuu-chan had already died. You, yourself was at the burial."<p>

"But Yukimura-san, he was just here awhile ago."

"He is not the real Fuji Syusuke that you know."

Echizen dropped his eyes to his hands that were lying on his laps as he waited for the latter to continue.

"The one you just met was originally called Kaede. He was taken out from the orphanage by the Fuji family six years ago. Surprising, right? Same eyes, same nose, same lips, same hair…an exact replica of the Fuji Syusuke we know. If Syuu-chan did not die and grew up properly, I'm sure he would look just like him."

"But Yukimura-san, it is not possible for two people to have the same face except…"

"…if they are twins?"

Echizen's head snapped up to face Yukimura. "You don't mean?"

"Well, no. The thing you just said impossible just happened and they are not even related in any way."

"He's not Syusuke then why is he using his name?"

"It was Yumiko-san who found him when the Fuji family moved to Tokyo six years ago. When she brought Kaede home, Yuka-san who never recovered mentally because of his elder son's death, thought him as the real Fuji Syusuke. She came back to being alive again. Because of this, Kaede was asked by Souta-san to take Syuu-chan's place for the sake of Yuka-san. It became 'Syusuke came back to life and it was Kaede who died.' Just like that, things went back to how their lives used to be, peaceful and happy."

_'Wrong.'_ Echizen thought as he stayed silent. No one could ever replace his Syusuke so it was wrong to have someone to take his place. It was wrong to ask someone to act as another person and let his real identity die. But he could not blame Fuji Souta for what he did. It was for Yuka's sake and he could understand that. Plus he doesn't have a right to say anything when in the first place, it was his fault that Fuji Syusuke died.

"Echizen, are you still blaming yourself?" Yukimura examined the younger's face then shook his head when he confirmed it. "It was not your fault."

"He would still be alive if he just went outside with his family instead of staying because he was waiting for my call."

Yukimura put his hand on top of Echizen's. "Stop it. Forgive yourself. Syuu-chan would not want to see you like this."

He already knew that. Many had already told him that. But Echizen never answered them.

* * *

><p>"That was because…" Eiji hesitated. Unsure of what to answer. Kaede being a fake Fuji Syusuke and a replacement was confidential. Actually, outside the Fuji family, only he and Yukimura knew the truth. Oh right, there was another. Shiraishi Kuranosuke. The person who was with Kaede inside the orphanage and was taken in by the Shiraishis the same time Kaede was taken by the Fujis. What should he say?<p>

"…Fuji can't remember Echizen."

"Inui." Fuji acknowledged the new company that arrived. "Did Nee-san send you?"

Inui nodded. "She felt something was wrong and you were not answering your phone so she asked me to see you." He looked around. "Looks like she was right again when I heard from Kurosaki-san that you were on the hospital."

"It was Ochibi," said Eiji.

"So I heard."

"Inui, you also know Echizen?" Atobe inquired.

"Yes. He's a frequent visitor of Fuji when we were young."

"Speaking of. Inui-san, about what we were talking about," Shiraishi reminded. He was intrigued by the younger's reaction upon seeing Syusuke. He was curious about the relationship that the real Fuji Syusuke and Echizen Ryoma shared.

"Ah, right." There was a glint on his eyeglasses before he continued. "Due to a fire eight years ago, Fuji was hospitalized for two years. When he woke up, he lost his memories, he couldn't remember anything about his past, including Echizen Ryoma."

"Is that true, Fuji?" Tezuka asked.

Fuji was amazed how smooth Inui's lie was that he was taken a little off guard by Tezuka's question. "…yeah."

"So, what exactly was Fuji's and Ryoma's relationship before the fire?" said Atobe.

Inui thought for awhile. What was supposed to be his answer? Childhood friends? Playmates? Best friends? Or…

"Lovers." It was Yukimura. Right on time, he left the room and joined the group. "Syuu-chan and Echizen used to be lovers."

The others eyes fell on Fuji in surprise.

"Eh?" Fuji's eyes opened. He himself was surprised because if his computation serves him right, Echizen would only be ten eight years ago. He was amazed, once again, by the person he replaced. "Seriously?"

* * *

><p><strong>to be continued...<strong>


End file.
